Thermal bridges are places in external partitions through which heat escapes from inside the house. Thermal bridges in houses can affect the amount of energy needed to heat and cool a useful space, cause condensation (moisture) in the building envelope and cause discomfort.
One of the reasons for the formation of thermal bridges are errors at the design stage or errors in construction work. In a carelessly insulated house, thermal bridges will accumulate condensed water vapor, which promotes the growth of fungi and mold on the walls. All connections of balcony slabs to the ceiling, wreaths, ceilings, window jambs and basement walls are subject to constant heat loss, so when insulating a building with polystyrene, special attention should be paid to them.
Thermal bridge on the balcony. In energy-efficient and passive houses, designers even abandon balconies, knowing that heat loss in these places is inevitable. However, when we decide to design a house with a balcony, places of excessive heat transfer should be carefully insulated.
Heat escapes the fastest also with the help of reinforced concrete ceiling beams. Therefore, in multilayer walls, insulation should be laid around the rims and load-bearing walls, using polystyrene with the best technical parameters.
The formation of thermal bridges is also a problem of formation of partitions. Reinforced concrete beams with floors located above the window and door openings are usually made of defective materials with a high coefficient of thermal conductivity, so it is important that they are properly insulated with polystyrene.
Thermal bridge in the basement. All basements, even those that are not heated, need polystyrene insulation, as this will reduce heating costs for the rest of the house.
The preventive measures taken to insulate thermal bridges can reduce heating costs by up to 20% in the future. That is why, pay due attention to the insulation of such places to enjoy a warm and dry home for many years.
